RRI.CO.ID, Seoul – Indonesia's president, Prabowo Subianto, mentioned a Korean proverb during the state banquet with South Korean president Lee Jae-myung. The banquet was held at the Cheong Wa Dae (Blue House), South Korean presidential palace in Seoul, on Wednesday, 1 April 2026 to welcome Prabowo, which was on his East Asian visit.

"I understand there is a cherished Korean saying that goes like this: 함께 가면 멀리 간다 (read: hamkke gamywon meolli ganda)," Prabowo stated, as quoted by the Indonesian Presidential Secretariat, with he literally spoke the proverb in Korean.

"(It means) 'if we go together, we will go far'. In this spirit, what we do today, what we achieve today, what we work for today, will benefit the future generations of our two countries," he said.

The quote is part of the proverb "혼자 가면 빨리 가고; 함께 가면 멀리 간다" (read: honja gamyeon ppalli gago; hamkke gamyeon meolli ganda). It means "If you go alone, you (will) go fast; if you go together, you (will) go far".

The secretariat said the quote "reflects the spirit of togetherness" in strengthening cooperation between Indonesia and South Korea. Prabowo further expressed his confidence that the enhanced partnership and the numerous agreements reached would provide tangible and sustainable benefits for both countries.

"The elevation of our bilateral relationship to a special comprehensive strategic partnership, along with the signing of several important agreements, reflects the deep trust and shared vision that bind our two countries," the president said.

Meanwhile, in a formal meeting at the Blue House, President Lee mentioned an "Indonesian proverb", highlighting the importance of the first step of the two nations' collaboration. Building on past achievements, he said they intend to create more future projects together that will bring greater benefits to the two peoples.

"Just as the Indonesian proverb says that the first step determines the next, our two countries have taken the first steps of cooperation in various fields and have continuously expanded the horizons of our collaboration," he said.

RRI Voice of Indonesia's research does not find an exact proverb in Indonesian literature. However, similar proverbs exists with similar meaning; such as "Sedikit demi sedikit, lama-lama menjadi bukit" ("Little by little, over time it becomes a hill"), highlighting that small continuous steps will produce great results in the future.